If only we could order life the way we order gourmet coffee. Wouldn’t you love to mix and match the ingredients of your future? How about a grande happy-latte, with a dollop of love, sprinkled with Caribbean retirement? Take me to that coffee shop! Too bad it doesn’t exist.

The truth is, life often hands us a concoction entirely different from the one we requested. Life comes caffeinated with surprises. Transitions and alterations. Some changes are welcome, others are not.

Remember the summary of King Solomon? For everything there is a season.

A time to be born and a time to die

A time to plant and a time to harvest

A time to cry and a time to laugh

Make friends with whatever’s next! Embrace it. Don’t resist it. As Paul wrote, “These little troubles are getting us ready for an eternal glory that will make all our troubles seem like nothing.”

As heart surgeries go, mine was far from the riskiest. But anything that takes four hours of probes inside your heart warrants an added prayer. So on the eve of my surgery, Denalyn, I, and some kind friends offered our share. As they left, I wanted to offer one more prayer–alone.

God and I had the most honest of talks. The details would bore you, but they entertained us. I thanked him for grace beyond measure and for a wife who descended from the angels. I offered this prayer: “I’m in good hands, Lord. But this could be my final night in this version of life, and I’d like you to know, if that’s the case, I’m okay.”

Here I am, strong as ever. One thing is different now, though. This matter of dying bravely? I think I will. And I pray you will do the same.

The truth about your stocks, cash, and 401-K? They’re not really yours.

The Gospel of Mark tells the story of a poor widow who came to the temple and dropped in two small coins as an offering. She was down to her last pennies, yet rather than spend them on bread, she returned them to God.

Financial gurus would have urged her to cut back on her giving. They would have discouraged the generosity of the woman. But Jesus did just the opposite. He said,

“I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions.”

God owns everything and gives us all things to enjoy. Let’s move from the fear of scarcity to the comfort of provision. Experience less hoarding and more sharing.

Replace fear of the coming winter with faith in the living God! Jesus said, “Do good, be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share.”

]]>https://maxlucado.com/audio/daily-audio/more-sharing/feed/0https://maxlucado.com/audio/daily-audio/more-sharing/https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.maxlucado.com/media/2012/05.23.12.mp3God is the Great Giverhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MaxLucado_Everyday/~3/ZFOqgFDEtiM/
https://maxlucado.com/audio/daily-audio/god-is-the-great-giver/#commentsTue, 22 May 2012 05:01:24 -0600cheryl greenhttp://maxlucado.com/?p=1344Today's MP3

Accumulation of wealth is a popular defense against fear. Since we fear losing our jobs, health care, or retirement benefits, we amass possessions, thinking the more we have, the safer we are!

If there were no God, ‘stuff-trusting’ would be the only appropriate response to an uncertain future. But there is a God. And this God does not want his children to trust money. He responded to the folly of the rich man with the words, “Do not worry about your life…Do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind.”

God is the great giver who “gives us richly all things to enjoy.” He is the great provider. The fount of every blessing. Absolutely generous and utterly dependable.

The resounding message of Scripture is clear. God owns it all. God shares it all.

I have a friend who was dreading a letter from the IRS. His calculations told him he owed them money…money he didn’t have. When the letter arrived detailing the amount, he couldn’t bear to open it. It sat on his desk for five days while he writhed in dread. Where would he get the money, he worried? He wondered how long he might be sent to prison. Finally, he opened the envelope. He found, not a bill to be paid, but a check to be cashed! He had wasted five days on needless fear!

The apostle Paul penned his final words from a Roman prison, chained to a guard, and within earshot of his executioner’s footsteps. Worst-case scenario? Paul said,

“God is looking after me, keeping me safe in the kingdom of heaven. All praise to him, praise forever!